Yesterday marked the 17th anniversary of the Panasonic 3DO, released in North America on October 4, 1993. Now, Panasonic has revealed its plans to re-enter the gaming world, this time unveiling its Jungle handheld device.
The official site is located at www.welcometo.thejungle.com. Here's a few blurbs:
We began this journey by asking gamers what they wanted. Almost unanimously, we heard calls for online gaming products. Some gamers wanted a handheld, some wanted new content, others new experiences (one dude wanted a tattoo of the Kalphite Queen). In response, the Jungle was born.
Our mission: Create an ecosystem around online gaming.
At the core is a new mobile device concept designed specifically for online gamers. We’re also working with leading online game developers to create some exciting new content.
A handheld made specifically for online gaming. Now you can play your MMOs in public! The only game currently announced is Battlestar Galactica Online, which runs through a browser (?!).
All we can say for now is that this mean little machine features a kick ass display, touch pad, keyboard, and other gaming controls that we'll be saying more about soon.
Stay very closely tuned unless you’re tone deaf. And then you should keep your eyes open.
The screen does look very nice, although I'm not sure how feasible it would be playing a MMO on a shrunken screen. A huge concern will be battery life, especially for something powerful enough to run a MMO. Some MMO missions take hours to complete, and you don't want the thing to shut off in the middle of a dungeon or raid. Keyboard buttons appear to be very small, but it's hard to judge from the pictures.
I can't imagine playing something like EVE Online on a handheld.
Here is a promotional video:
I don't really care for MMOs, so I'll be avoiding this one. Gizmodo notes that it runs on Linux, so many of the current popular Windows games can't simply be ported over.
I don't think it's worth it (at least for rpgs/MMOs), it ruins the flow when you're grinding in a MMO if you have to stop playing to recharge the thing. Speaking of which, why is battery tech so slow to advance compared to other technologies?
ReplyDeleteThis is a horrible idea... I really hope that they decide to NOT make it..
ReplyDeleteI don't like how it looks or its name. It just seems like a bad idea
It's a totally interesting idea, I just don't think it will end up actually going anywhere. I've been wrong once before, though.
ReplyDeleteHaha I think it's better to buy a laptop imo
ReplyDeleteI don't think it would do very well. MMOs on a handheld isn't a good idea in my opinion, and it looks quite uncomfortable to play.
ReplyDeleteeh I gotta have my games
ReplyDeletelooks like an interesting idea for mmos
ReplyDeleteif this works out it will be great. but maybe it will just plain suck :F
ReplyDelete